Sandra Overend MLA, Ulster Unionist Party spokesperson on the economy, has said that bringing Royal Portrush Golf Club back onto the rota for hosting The Open Championship is a potential game changer for the Northern Ireland tourist sector.
Mrs Overend said:
“There might have been some criticism in the past that we in Northern Ireland were putting all our eggs in the golf tourism basket. However this announcement that The Open Championship is coming back to Royal Portrush is potentially game changing in terms of developing our tourism product.
“We have proved that we can host big international events with great success- the MTV awards, the World Police and Fire Games, Londonderry UK City of Culture, the G8 summit, and the Giro d’Italia. In golf itself the staging of the Irish Open at Royal Portrush two years ago which attracted 130,000 spectators proved what could be done.
“The Open as golf’s oldest and most international Major Championship, broadcasts to over 500 million households right around the world and 4,468 hours of television coverage of last year’s tournament were beamed out.
“Independent research suggests the Open is likely to deliver a combined economic impact and destination marketing benefit of £70 million for Northern Ireland. With the Royal and Ancient announcing that Royal Portrush is back on the Open roster, this means that 2019 will not just be a one off, short term boost to the tourist economy. The repeated return of the Claret Jug to Portrush means that the North Coast and Northern Ireland will benefit again and again.”